Patna, Hajipur, Darbhanga: “Faulty” distribution of tickets by Tejashwi Yadav is likely to hurt the prospects of the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) in Bihar in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. The vocal stand taken by the party—because of Tejashwi’s “inexperience”—against the issue of reservation for the economically weaker sections of society is also hurting the alliance. Lalu Prasad Yadav’s absence too is proving to be costly for the Mahagathbandhan.
The Sunday Guardian spoke to political observers, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) strategists and local people across Bihar’s multiple parliamentary constituencies to try and guage the electoral prospects of the Grand Alliance in the state. The general consensus was that the Grand Alliance being managed by Tejashwi Yadav had faulted massively in ticket distribution and had this exercise been conducted properly, it would have done well in almost 50% of the 40 parliamentary seats of the state. But now it is likely to end up losing many of its winning seats.
A senior RJD strategist told this newspaper: “There is no doubt that the distribution of tickets has been mismanaged. Tejashwi Yadav did not take the advice of senior leaders of the party—some of them have more political experience than what Tejashwi’s age is. Laluji is in prison and had limited time and opportunity to manage the distribution of tickets. What was the justification behind giving 11 seats to the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP), Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP)? We will be very surprised if we get even four seats from them. The seat sharing process became disorganised at the last moment, with Tejashwi coming under pressure from these parties. He was forced to give them more seats than they deserved. If Laluji was here, seat sharing would have been decided well in advance and these small parties would not have been able to extract so many seats from us. We missed Laluji’s advice massively.”
According to them, it is because of Tejashwi Yadav’s inexperience that the alliance is likely to have lost winning seats such as Begusarai, Madhepura, Supaul apart from a large number of seats from among the 11 that were given to the small parties.
An RJD spokesperson, who was handling the party’s affairs in Darbhanga said: “We have thrown away the Bhumihar votes that we could have got in alliance with the Congress, because of Tejashwi Yadav’s and Manoj Jha’s open opposition to EWS reservation for the general castes. Secondly, for the first time in many decades the Yadavs have started showing disenchantment with us. We may not admit it publicly, but the improved law and order situation, the building of roads, etc., have played a role in educated Yadavs rising above caste considerations. Nitish Kumar’s reach among the backward community is intact and our allies Jitan Manjhi, Mukesh Shahni (Vikassheel Insaan Party) and Upendra Kushwaha may not be able to damage that as Tejashwi Yadav is hoping them to do. If we had chosen our tickets wisely and given representation to the upper castes, we would have been in a much better position.”
A Darbhanga-based Congress leader said that the performance of their own candidates was likely to suffer in the nine parliamentary seats that they were contesting because of the RJD’s vocal outburst against the 10% reservation to the EWS. “The Bhumihars and the Brahmins, though in small numbers, were with us as the BJP had pushed them away. However, even they turned against us because of Tejashwi Yadav’s rants against reservation. He should have handled his opposition to the issue more diplomatically. If Laluji was here in place of him, he would have handled it more maturely,” he said.
The Congress leader also gave the example of how Tejashwi Yadav did not allow Kanhaiya Kumar to become a part of the Grand Alliance or how he prevailed upon his alliance partners not to let Pappu Yadav become a member of the Grand Alliance. This is likely to cost the Grand Alliance the seats of Begusarai, Madhepura and Supaul.